


You Were My Unexpected

by LittleSpoonStyles94



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Angst, Bully Harry Styles, Disappointment, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Enemies to Lovers, Looking for love, M/M, Mutual Pining, Player Harry Styles, Romantic Louis Tomlinson, Slow Build, Smut, arrogant Harry Styles
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-07
Updated: 2020-06-13
Packaged: 2021-03-04 05:41:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 18,605
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24588511
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LittleSpoonStyles94/pseuds/LittleSpoonStyles94
Summary: Louis is a typical college role model. He believes in punctuality, in doing what's right. He's the best friend one could hope for. He's loyal to a fault and a people pleaser. Louis is also heart broken, a hopeless romantic and looking for love even though he would never admit it. He thinks he has his life together until a chance encounter with his secondary school bully Harry Styles, brings his carefully constructed walls down with a crash. Is Louis' heart ready to be broken again?
Relationships: Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson
Comments: 12
Kudos: 36





	1. Part 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys, here's another fic of mine based on the move "The Thing About Harry" so I really suggest you watch the movie. I will be posting this fic in parts so please bear with me if I take a little while to update. It is very challenging and time consuming to watch the movie, write down the dialogue then type it all out and add my parts to it. But, I will get there little by little. This fic comes to you as a request from @DimpledDork_ who from the moment she watched the movie asked me to write it. Selena I hope you like it and I hope I am doing a good job of it. Okay, I'll let you go and read Part 1 of this fic. If anyone wants ot say hello or chat about anything, you can find me @50ShadesofMags. All the love, M.

You Were My Unexpected.

Louis lay curled up around Eleanor, spooning her long body, both of them crammed on her small bed in her dorm room but it suited them well. Eleanor was his best friend. She'd been his best friend ever since they started college in London. Eleanor was studying fashion and Louis was studying politics.

'Hmm this is nice,' Eleanor murmured as she scooted back into Louis' chest. Louis snuggled closer, his face buried in her neck, his arms wrapped around her small waist.

'Yes it definitely is.' Eleanor stiffened.

'Louis,' she said quietly.

Hmm?' he replied.

'What's this poking in my lower back? You're not? Oh my fucking God Louis don't tell me you've got a boner?' Louis raised his head and looked down at Eleanor's face.

'What? No God El of course I don't have a boner! What makes you think I could ever get a hard on for you? Jesus it's just my phone. Look,' he said as he fished it out of his pocket and waved it in her face to prove the point. Eleanor smiled and snuggled closer to Louis. 'Nah quh I want to be little spoon now.' Louis turned around offering his back to Eleanor who engulfed him in a hug. Louis snuggled in. 'So what are we doing this weekend?'

'For Valentine's day?' Eleanor asked. 'Ugh nothing.'

'Nothing? I thought you were going out with your boyfriend.'

'He is not my boyfriend Louiskins.' Louis smiled, loving the nickname El always had for him. 'I don't do boyfriend girlfriend duty.'

'Well you've been with him for what feels like three years now so I think it's safe to say to call him your boyfriend. Everybody does that El.'

'I prefer to call him Max,' Eleanor deadpanned. Louis slapped her hand that was resting on his stomach.

'Seriously? When are you going to settle down?'

'How about when you settle down hmm?' Louis went quiet and Eleanor wanted to bite her tongue off when she remembered that Louis had broken up with his boyfriend Luke a few months back and it was still a sore subject with Louis 'How are you?' she asked quietly. Louis sighed heavily.

'You mean because its my first Valentine's day without Luke?' Eleanor could still hear the pain in his voice when he spoke about Luke and she hated it. She hated it that Louis had been through so much pain because of that shithead Luke and was still feeling that pain because of him.

'It's been a couple on months now Lou. Shouldn't you be out there getting back up on the horse?' Louis chuckled.

'There will be no horse of any kind for me in the immidiate future. Which is why I am so happy to be getting out of here and away from all the horrible singles parties decorated with pink hearts and playing romantic songs while people look at you as if they are pitying you and wanting to set you up with any eligible guy in the room. I'm just not ready to date again yet El,' he said, his voice quieting down. They both were silent for a bit then Eleanor raised her head and looked down at Louis.

'Hang on there. What do you mean with your getting out of here? Where are you going?' Louis shifted in her arms and turned round on his back, gazing up at the ceiling a small fond smile on his lips.

'My friends Stan and Michelle's engagement party. We talked about this remember? You nearly had a seizure when I told you they were having their engagement party on Valentine's day!' Eleanor made a disgusted face.

'Eww yeah I must have blocked it out.' She settled comfortably with her head on Louis' chest. 'Louiskins you're going back home for an engagement party on Valentine's day. My God you are truly a good friend.' Louis smiled and patted her hand.

'Yes I am. Truly devoted and loyal to my friends. That's me.' His phone began to vibrate on the bed between them. Louis picked it up and looked at his screen to see who was calling. 'Speak of the devils,' he said as he sat up and swiped the phone to take the call. 'Heyyyy how are you? How are you feeling now that you're engaged to the love of your life?' Louis asked all excited because he loved his friends. Michelle giggled on the phone.

'I feel good Lou. It's amazing.We're so excited that you're coming home for our party. So listen Lou Bear we, Stan and I, have a little favor to ask,' Michelle said. Louis smiled big and shifted on the bed, his legs dangling over the edge.

'Anything. You can ask me anything. Anything for the bride and groom.' Eleanor rolled her eyes and mouthed “ohmygod” at him, making Louis push her away playfully.

'Could you....would you mind giving Harry a lift?' Louis furrowed his eyebrows at the strange request.

'Harry? Harry who?' he asked. There was a moment of silence on the line.

'Harry,' Michelle said, 'Styles.' Louis froze.

'Harry Styles,' he said quietly. 'You don't mean Harry Styles who hates me? Harry Styles who made fun of me pretty much everyday in school? Harry Styles who humiliated me and bullied me relentlessly?' Louis' voice was getting higher and more agitated.

'Yeah,' Michelle said.

'Mich, you're not seriously asking me to spend nine hours alone in a car with Harry freaking Styles are you?' Eleanor sat up.

'No fucking way Lou. No!' Louis waved his hand at her shushing her up. 'Say no Louis. Say no now.'

'Kinda. I mean Lou Bear you go to the same school and he was supposed to drive out with his girlfriend and I think they broke up or something.'

'Shocking!' Louis said sarcastically.

'And he doesn't have a car,' Michelle continued, 'so he won't be able to come unless....' she let it hang. 

'I don't know Michelle,' Louis said not liking this idea at all because Harry Styles was his nightmare. 'It's not a good idea.'

'Say no,' Eleanor said. Louis put his hand on his phone so Michelle wouldn't hear. Eleanor made grabby hands at his phone. 'Gimme the phone I'll tell her.' Eleanor tried to pry the phone out of Louis' hand.

'Stop El. No...just no stop,' he said slapping her hands away. Louis managed to keep control of his phone.

'Please Lou Bear. Stan really wants him here. Please please....pretty please? Lou is there someone there with you? Where are you?'

'In hell apparently,' Louis replied. He rubbed his face with his free hand. 'Um yeah okay I will bring Harry.' Eleanor rolled her eyes and shook her head and Louis knew that she was disappointed in him.

'Oh my God!' Michelle screamed over the phone. 'Thank you Lou Bear thank you.'

'Tell him to meet me outside the student union at seven am sharp. If he is late, I swear to God I am leaving without him.'

'Thank you Louis. Thank you, thank you,' Michelle squealed happily. 'See you Saturday.' And she hung up. Louis sat there looking at his phone not believing what he had just accepted to do for his friends. He was going to spend nine hours in a drive from London to Manchester in a car with Harry fucking Styles, his biggest enemy and tormentor.

'Wow,' Eleanor said sarcastically, 'you my friend are a medical marvel. No wonder you can stand at  
all without a spine like that.' Louis flopped back down on the bed. He couldn't bear the disappointment in Eleanor's voice.

'What have I gotten myself into?' he murmured.

X

Two days later Louis was parked outside the student union building, his entire nervous system in shambles. He was nervous and sick to his stomach about having Harry Styles in his car, a notorious bully and heart breaker. He didn't know why in God's name he had accepted to give Harry a lift when Harry had done nothing but bully him and call him names. Yeah some might think that by now he should be over all that but in truth, Louis wasn't! Harry's taunts and words still hurt him because they had made him feel small and disgusting. Louis had always been openly gay and Harry's words had hurt him. He looked at the clock on the dash. 7:10 am. He huffed and dialed Eleanor. Eleanor picked up after the second ring.

'Everything okay?' she said into the phone. Louis knew she was worried about him because he had told her everything that Harry had done to him and put him through and Eleanor had been against this from the get go.

'He's not here,' Louis said in a small voice.

'What an asshole,' Eleanor replied. Louis sighed.

'See? That's the thing about Harry. He had no concern or regard for anybody else but himself. He just shows up whenever the hell he wants to after I have been so kind as to give him a lift. Ugh, I never should've agreed to this,' Louis complained.

'No you really shouldn't have,' Eleanor agreed. 'But hey, you could always leave. I mean it would be perfectly justified since he didn't show up at the agreed time like the asshole that he is.'

'Fine. I'll give him till seven fifteen then I'm off. What are you doing?'

'It's seven ten in the morning Louis what do you think I'm doing?' Louis gasped.

'Oh my God did I wake you?' he asked.

'Yeah but it's fine,' Eleanor said. Louis heard a voice mumble in the back ground. 'Shut up Max no one cares about what you think. Max said hi Lou.'

'Hiiii Max,' Louis chirped into the phone making Eleanor cringe and pull her phone away from her ear at Louis' shrill voice. 'Sorry to have woken you guys up. Go back to sleep El.'

'No it's fine really. I'll stay on with you because I know you're nervous and scared and you're my best friend and I'm here for you, supporting you through this foolishly crazy idea you brought on yourself. Now remember, if he starts anything like maybe calling you names or insulting you, I want you to pull over and tell him to get the hell out.' Louis smiled fondly. Eleanor was truly his best friend.

'Ok El. Got it.'

'Say it,' Eleanor said.

'Say what?' Louis asked a little perplexed. Eleanor huffed.

'Practice it come on. I want to hear you say it.' Louis rolled his eyes.

'El come on. I'm not gonna...God...why does this shit always happen to me?' he whined into the phone.

'Beacause you are too good and you like to please people so come on I want to know that you are well prepared to tell him to fuck off should he start anything. Now let me hear you Louis.'

'Ugh fine alright. Get the hell out,' he said a little too softly. Eleanor snorted into the phone.

'You're kidding right? Tell me you're kidding. I tell Max to pick up my ice-cream more force fully than that. Again Louis. Put some spine into it!' Louis inhaled deeply.

'Get the hell out!' he said a little more forcefully.

'Again,' Eleanor encouraged him, 'bring it up right from under those unused blue balls of yours!'

'Get the hell out,' Louis snarled with more feeling.

'Again Louiskins, let me hear you roar like the lion that you are!'

'Get the hell out!!!!' Louis screamed and growled into the car, startling a man that was crossing in front of his parked car.

'Okay good,' Eleanor praised him. 'That's very good. You're gonna be just fine babe. Call me if you need anything.'

'I will,' Louis said. 'Bye.' He hung up and sat in his silent car. He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel, humming a useless tune to help calm his nerves. Harry Styles! He was a handsome one. A straight handsome one, with his curls and dimples and bandana in his hair, his ripped jeans and hoodies, his charm, those green eyes and....and all his hateful comments and homophobic insults coming out of those pretty pink lips aimed at him like daggers slicing through his tender skin. Louis shook himself out of his thoughts and looked at the dashboard clock. 7:20 am.

'That's it Mr. I'm done waiting for you. You can take the bus. Or train or whatever because I'm leaving and I don't care.' Louis turned the key in the ignition and started the car. 'Good riddance Styles.' Louis pulled away from the curb and no sooner had he driven away from the curb, he heard yells.

'Hey hey nonono wait wait. I'm here! I'm here.' Louis looked in his rear view mirror and he saw Harry running to catch up with his car. Just for the fun of it he drove on, slowly but still. He wanted to stop when HE wanted to stop not when Harry demanded he stop.

'Harry Styles,' Louis muttered to himself.

'Wait c'mon hey wait.' Louis slowed down when Harry reached the car then stopped. Harry skidded on the sleet but quickly stood up, rounded the car and opened the passenger side, giving Louis his full dimpled smile which made his breath rattle in his chest. Fucking Harry Styles! Louis stopped the car, pressing on the break gently. Harry got in the passenger seat and dumped his bag and suit bag in the back seat.

'Thanks man for doing this. I know I'm a few minutes late....'

'Try twenty minutes,' Louis said but Harry seemed to not have heard him because he carried on talking.

'My room mate Liam threw a huge ass party last night which was like a really bad idea but he did it anyway and we all ended up hammered and my alarm didn't go off though I did set it for the ungodly hour of 6:30. I mean who the fuck wakes up at that early hour....'

'I woke up at five,' Louis said calmly and again Harry barreled on talking not paying attention to Louis.

'But anyway somehow my alarm didn't go off and if Xander hadn't woken up puking his guts out, I wouldn't have woken up. That put me a little behind sched but I made it. We're here ready to go on a road trip back home. No harm no foul balls,' he said giving Louis another smile. Then his face went serious and his brows furrowed as if in thought. 'Although my balls may be a little foul because I didn't have time to shower. You get me?' Harry asked as he fastened his seat belt. Louis inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly. Nine hours with Harry in his car! This was going to be a challenge.

'I.....get you,' Louis said as he pulled away from the curb for the second time.

'Oh and do you mind making a quick stop at Costa? I'm going to need some serious caffeine if I'm going to be good company for you.' Louis sighed. This human was simply impossible; a selfish, conceited, arrogant, self centered human being but God was he gorgeous! He had a dark green bandana wrapped around those unruly curls and he was wearing skin tight black jeans, a green hoodie, a black bomber jacket and boots.....And straight, Louis chided himself. Harry is straight! Louis wove through early morning traffic and stopped Harry at the first Costa so he could get his caffeine fix then they were truly on the road. Harry was quiet, sipping his coffee happily and Louis tried not to divert his eyes off the road to give him the occasional subtle glance. He couldn't help it! Harry was pretty okay! Put aside his shitty character and he was really pretty.

'Can you believe my girlfriend left me because I forgot our three month anniversary? Who does that? Is that even a thing? Who even remembers shit like that?' Louis cast him a sideways glance and Harry was smirking.

'I don't know,' Louis said, 'thoughtful people maybe?' Harry looked and him and chuckled.

'Of course you'd say that. You never forget anything. You remember that time you reminded Mrs. Brown we had to have that literature test? And everyone got so pissed off at you?' Louis gripped the steering wheel tighter hating that Harry was taking him back down memory lane, a lane he preferred to never had to visit again especially with Harry in close encounters.

'Yeah I remember,' Louis said dryly. 'I remember because I had studied for that test like we were supposed to and I didn't want to get behind. You know we had those big projects in English and Social Studies. Plus, it was the first time you called me Lick Ass Louis and that's not something I'm likely to forget.' Harry chuckled and it made Louis itch.

'Who called you Lick Ass Louis?'

'You did,' Louis replied curtly.

'Me?' Harry asked skepitcally.

'Yeah,' Louis answered hating that Harry had forgotten how he had made his life miserable. How could he have forgotten?

'No,' Harry said, shaking his head, refusing to believe what Louis was saying.

'Yeah,' Louis affirmed again. Harry turned in his seat to look at Louis' profile.

'No way man! You're saying I made that up? I gave you that nickname?'

'Mhm,' Louis said because honestly, it hurt that Harry did not even remember. He conveniently remembered when Louis had ratted them out about the test but not inventing this nickname to go with it. Harry turned back and looked out the windscreen.

'Nah. I don't think so.' Louis groaned internally. What an asshole!

'Trust me Harry. I remember because after you called me Lick Ass Louis, Xander Harris thought it would be funnier to call me Lick Ass Louisa and that's what people called me for the rest of secondary school so I think I would remember who started it since I had to endure it every day don't I?' Louis said feeling anger seep under his skin. Harry shrugged and drank the last of his coffee.

'Alright. I guess if you say so but hey, it's a good one,' Harry said and Louis wanted to pull over and push him out of the car or maybe if he didn't fear crashing the car and hurting himself, he would push him out of the car while it was still moving. The nerve on him!

'You know what? I'm feeling pretty wiped. I haven't slept in like three days because of studying because some of us do study for mid terms unlike some who prefer to party so maybe we can have a little quiet time.' Harry chewed on his bottom lip then gave Louis a small smile.

'Yeah sure thing. Gotcha.' Silence descended on the car and Louis took that time to mentally gather himself because Harry was still such an asshole. How could he not remember that nickname he had given him and ruined his life with it? Louis' mind was racing, his heart thumping hard in his chest because Harry had some nerve to not even take the responsibility of having given him that nickname and he dared to make fun of him in his own car while Louis had been kind enough to give him a lift! He had to regain control over his emotions and not let Harry get to him. He mentally breathed in and breathed out and as he began to calm down and get his emotions under check and his thoughts back to their rational logical state, Harry's voice broke the blessed silence.

'I mean come on three months? Who's like ready to go serious at three months? It doesn't make sense. A while ago, a group of us went to the beach and I mean, I couldn't help but look at all the lovely girls there. I mean, who wouldn't want to look at all those girls in bikini....'

'I wouldn't look,' Louis stated but Harry seemed to not have heard him.

'And she got mad at me, told me that I'm looking too much. Is there even a thing as too much? Beauty is all around and I happen to appreciate it so can I really be blamed for staring?'

'Not polite to stare,' Louis interrupted but it didn't have any effect on Harry, because he was an egoistical asshole and he just continued on.

'As if that wasn't enough, I caught her going through my phone and I was like right, that's it. I've had it and I'm out. Can you believe that mate? I mean going through my phone?'

'Which girlfriend was this?' Louis asked. 'I lost count at the third one.' Harry chuckled.

'Does it matter? She went through my phone! Why? Can you even believe it?' Louis gripped the wheel tighter and sighed. Here was his chance to speak his mind to Harry. He was practically asking it of him and he was not going to pass up the chance of even making Harry feel bad for a bit.

'Can I believe that you drove multiple women insane to the point of a psychotic break? Yes. Yes Harry I can. Taking my personal experience with you, yes I believe you can. Whole heartedly.' Harry's smile dulled.

'Wow okay. Ouch,' he said, his voice softer. Good Louis thought. He had hit him where it hurt. Harry 1 – Louis 1. Louis grinned at himself. Damn that felt good!

'So, you just drop them like that and then move on when it gets hard or weird. Like you bolt before you start to catch feelings.' Harry felt confused by Louis' words. He scratched above his ear where his bandana was.

'I um, I don't know if I'd ugh put it like that,' he stammered and wow Louis was shocked to see a dent in Harry's confidence. And a boost in his own!

'Harry, you spent the last three hours of the drive recounting every detail of your past five relationships and the most amazing thing I noticed through your recounting, is the most amazing thing ever! In every single one of these relationships, you did absolutely nothing wrong. You found fault with all your girlfriends, blaming them for the things they did yet here you are, complaining about what they did. Did it ever at any point occur to you that maybe umm I don't know, maybe you had something to do with what happened?' Harry was silent, chewing on his bottom lip as if thinking and Louis was glorifying in the fact that he was making Harry think! Harry raised his head and looked at Louis.

'You know what? You're probably right. I must like the drama because it's not just the girls either. It happened with this guy I was with too....'

'See?' Louis shrieked happily at having been right and he had gotten Harry to admit that he was an asshole. Then an alarm bell went off inside Louis' head. Guy? Did Harry say guy? 'Wait? What? What did you say? What do you mean guy?' Louis' mind was buzzing. Guy? Harry looked at him amused by Louis' reaction.

'Um as in not a girl?' Louis' turned shocked eyes at Harry, then he looked at the road then back at Harry, lost for words because did Harry just say he dated a guy? Harry chuckled at Louis' stunned expression and decided to put the guy out of his misery. 'I'm pan,' he admitted. Louis' mouth felt dry. He swallowed and cast a furtive glance at Harry.

'Pan?' he asked softly. 'You're pan? What does that even mean?' Louis' mind was whirling. Harry gave him a small smile.

'Pansexual,' he said. 'It means that I don't have a gender preference when....'

'No. No no,' Louis stopped him. 'I know what pansexual means Harry. What I don't get is what do you mean you're pan?' Harry sighed and relaxed into his seat.

'Well, I used to call myself Bi but someone schooled me that Pan is way more inclusive. And honestly, its just more me.' Harry paused and looked at Louis who was still looked shocked. 'You know, I'm surprised you didn't know this about me already. My mum practically put it in every Christmas card the year I came out.' Louis swallowed again, his throat so dry it ached. He really needed a cup of tea.

'I didn't exactly keep tabs on you when we left school. I wanted to forget you existed so no I didn't know this about you.' Harry smiled a little sadly.

'Fair enough. But hey, now that you know maybe we could hit a few gay clubs together sometime. Most of my friends are straight or females so I could use a gay wing man.' Louis' shock intensified. Harry wanted to hang out with him gay clubs? This was unreal. Louis was sure that he was in some kind of alternate universe where Harry Styles had just come out to him and wanted to go gay clubbing with him.

'Louis are you okay?' Harry asked him because he had seen how spaced out Louis looked. Louis turned his head and stared at Harry sitting there in his seat, curls held back by that pretty bandada, green eyes looking at him with concern? Louis' blue eyes stayed on Harry, seeing him through a different lens now. He was still trying to process all the information Harry had given him.

'Lou?' Harry said softly as Louis just kept staring at him. Lou. Harry had called him Lou. Only his friends called him Lou. Or in Eleanor's care Louiskins. Harry had never called him by his name let alone his nickname and it sounded so good coming from those pink lips.....A loud blaring horn brought Louis out of his reverie and his eyes back on the road to see a lorry barreling towards them, head lights blinking. Louis quickly turned the steering wheel to the right to avoid collision, driving the car off the road on to the snowy bank as it slid and turned, brakes screeching as they tried to find traction with the frosty tarmac. Harry held on to the dashboard for dear life, a scream tearing out of his throat. The tyers slipped on ice but thankfully Louis managed to control the car and bring them to an abrupt stop on the shoulder of the motorway. Both of them tipped forward at the sudden break then it went silent. They looked at each other with wide eyes, thumping heart and breathing heavily.

'Are you alright?' Louis asked him, looking Harry up and down for any sign of injury.

'Yeah yeah I'm good,' Harry said. 'Just terrified. I nearly wet myself. The fuck Lou? I saw my whole life flash before my eyes there for a minute.' Louis huffed.

'I bet you saw all your failed relationships! Don't he so dramatic Harry. For your information I had complete control of the car.' Harry smirked at him.

'I didn't look like it for a bit there. You nearly shit your pants.' Louis ground his teeth together trying to resist not yelling get the hell out of my car like Eleanor had suggested. He rolled his eyes and cranked up the engine.

'You really are a drama queen,' he said as he turned the car around to get them back on the motorway in their proper lane. 'It's getting late and I hate to drive on the motorway in the dark. We should find a guest house for the night.'

'Good idea,' Harry agreed. 'I could do with a hot shower and comfy bed for the night. I need my beauty sleep.' Louis huffed. He hated this guy. He was so pompous and full of himself. It was all about Harry! Everything was about Harry. He had a mind to keep on driving not giving in to Harry's need for comfort but he hated to drive on the motorway in the dark and if he had to admit it, he too was tired and in need of a shower. So he grit his teeth together and drove on until he saw a sign that indicated that if you take the next turn off and drive two hundred kilometers you were to find yourself at the Goat's Head Guesthouse and Pub. Louis indicated that he was going to take the next ramp off the motorway and he found himself in a narrow road which led him to the guesthouse. He parked and killed the engine.

'Get the bags,' Louis told him. 'I'll get rooms.' Harry smiled and nodded. They got out of the car and Louis headed inside while Harry got the bags. When he got to the reception, he was informed that they had only one room available but was happy to hear that it had two beds. No way in hell was he going to share a bed with Harry! Louis took the key and found Harry waiting in the lobby with their bags. He dangled the key in front of Harry's face.

'I have good news and bad news. The bad news is that I am going to have to share a room with you. The good news is that there are two beds thank the heavens. I hope you don't snore or fart in your sleep.' Harry grinned at him.

'I don't do either.' Louis scrutinized him.

'How do you know if you're asleep?' Harry wiggled his perfect eyebrows at him.

'Nobody complained if you get what I mean.' Ugh, Louis wanted to punch him in his smug face.

'You're carrying the bags up to flights of stairs.' Harry grinned again.

'No problem Lou. I have stamina. I can go a long way.' Louis rolled his eyes.

'Bet you never had complains about that either huh?' Harry picked up both bags.

'Never. Not once.' Louis began climbing the stairs praying to god that this night would hurry by and Harry would just fall asleep. They came to the top of the narrow stairs and Louis didn't feel sorry for a panting Harry behind him struggling with the bags. Louis opened the door and was greeted by a clean, homey room with flowery wallpaper, plain curtains, two beds with bedspreads matching the curtains and a small bathroom with a shower. Harry dumped the bags by the door and sat down heavily on the bed beside the door, leaving Louis with the bed by the door. Louis sighed because of course Harry wouldn't even ask which bed Louis preferred but whatever. Louis couldn't really expect courtesy from Harry. 

Harry plopped down on the bed, bouncing a few times checking the mattress.

'This will do,' he told Louis with a smile, his dimples flashing and making Louis a tad bit weak in the knees because who wouldn't and Louis was a gay man so could anyone blame him for finding this arrogant, selfish man handsome? No, no one would because he would die before admitting he found Harry attractive.

'Hey,' Harry said pulling Louis out of his thoughts. 'Are you alright? You seem to be zoning out on me quite a few times.' Louis gave him a small smile.

'I'm fine. Just tired and hungry.' Harry jumped to his feet.

'Want me to go down and find us something to eat?' Louis' eyes widened a little bit because had just Harry offered to go get them food?

'If you could be a darling,' Louis said. Harry grinned widely.

'I'll be a darling for you,' he said, giving Louis a wink and pushing past him to get to the door. When the door closed behind Harry, Louis fanned himself and sat down on the bed. Why had he agreed to this again? Oh yes, to please his friends and get Harry to their engagement party. Louis growled in frustration, took out his phone and dialed his mother because he had promised to call her and keep her updated on the trip. She knew how much grief Harry had caused Louis and she hadn't made a secret of it that she wasn't pleased that Louis had agreed to give Harry lift.

'Lou,' his mother answered and he could hear the trepidation in her voice.

'It's all good mum,' he said right away to reassure her.

'Is it really or are you just telling me that not to worry me?' Louis smiled fondly. He loved his mother dearly.

'No, mum I'm not. Really, its all going good.' He heard his mother sigh.

'I don't trust Harry,' she said. Louis smiled.

'I don't either mum,' he admitted.

'I sure hope you won't. I've seen what he's done to you.' Louis' smile fell of his face.

'I remember mum. I'm not likely to forget.'

'He's not running his mouth is he? He's not being mean to you right? Please tell me he's not Lou,' Johanna pleaded with him.

'Mum no. He's being decent. He's different somehow. We kinda talk, well he talks mostly and did you know he's pansexual? I had no idea.....'

'Louis don't go getting any ideas,' Jay interrupted him. 'He's still the same Harry.'

'What? Mum no I.....' he paused because when Harry had told him he was pansexual, for a split second there had been a spark of interest lit up in Louis. Harry was beautiful and charming and pansexual which meant he had dated guys and …. 'No mum definitely no interest in him whatsoever. I know he's the same Harry. He just...I don't know seems different.' The door to their hotel room banged open and Harry walked in, smiling at Louis.

'I got food,' he announced loudly showing Louis the Tesco bags. Louis covered his phone.

'Do you mind? I'm on the phone.' 

'Opps sorry,' Harry mouthed.

'Mum I gotta go. Harry just brought food and I'm starving. Yes I'll call when I get there. Yes mum okay. I love you too. Bye.' Louis hung and and looked at Harry who was looking at him with a strange fond look and a smile on his face.

'What?' Louis asked him. Harry shrugged.

'Nothing. It's just, the bond you have with your mum.'

'So what you're going to make fun of me now? Call me a mamma's boy?' The smile slid off Harry's face and he looked at Louis with a dimmed light in his eyes.

'No I wasn't. I just wish I had the same connection with my mum like you have.' Louis furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.

'I thought your mum posted your coming out in every Christmas card.' Harry fiddled with the plastic bags in his hand.

'She did. She's alright. I know she loves me its just that we're not close. We don't see each other often and when we do, its like weird. I mean, she does all things a mother does for their child but we don't have a connection. Not like the one you have with your mum. I envy that. Anyway,' Harry said ending the discussion, 'I didn't know what you liked so I got different things from Tesco next door. I got two types of sandwiches : chicken and mayo and tuna, plain crisps and cheese and onion and two pot noodles : chicken and mushroom and curry. And for drinks I got Coke and Sprite. What's your fancy?' Louis couldn't help the fond smile that spread on his face.

'I'll have chicken and mayo sandwich, cheese and onion crisps and Sprite. Thank you.' Harry handed him the food.

'Glad I got something right,' Harry mumbled. Harry sat on the bed opposite Louis and tore into his tuna sandwich. They ate in silence for a while then Harry stopped eating and looked at Louis who was munching small bites of his sandwich.

'So you really didn't know? About me I mean,' Harry asked Louis. Louis swallowed and gave him a small smile.

'I really did not.' Harry put his sandwich down and rubbed his hands on his jeans. Louis didn't understand why Harry was avoiding looking at him.

'I thought you had me figured out a long time ago,' Harry said quietly. Louis furrowed his eyebrows in confusion at Harry's weird question.

'Why would I?' Louis asked him. Harry shrugged and played with the rings on his fingers.

'Because I caught you staring at me sometimes,' Harry admitted. Louis was taken aback by Harry's confession. Had he really been caught staring at him and Harry was here calling him out on it?

'Yeah only because I thought you hated me and made my life a living hell. You were my bully Harry,' Louis said as he tried to hide his embarrassment. Harry looked at Louis.

'Oh,' he said. He clearly wasn't expecting that answer. What else had he expecting? 'I didn't hate you,' Harry admitted and Louis' heart stuttered in his chest. Why were they sitting in a hotel room across from each other admitting things to one another? Louis felt like he was in an episode of The Twilight Zone. 'Truth is,' Harry continued, 'I admired you.' Louis' eyes went wide.

'I'm sorry....what? I..I don't even....what?' Harry gave him a small sad smile.

'You were out Louis. I envied that. I was too scared to come out. That's why I made fun of you and bullied you, you know that right? Because I thought that if somebody saw me being nice to you then I'd be guilty by association and...yeah I know that's not right and cowardly of me but I wasn't ready for that. I know that's no excuse for what I did to you. I never should've treated you like that. I was a right dick and I really am sorry Louis. I mean it.' Louis looked at Harry who sat across from him apologizing for all the pain he had caused Louis. He sat there stunned into silence. Harry was doing this to him a lot, stunning him into silence which was a little hard to do since Louis' mouth hardly stopped talking. His mind wanted his mouth to move and speak but instead Louis took a sip of his Sprite choosing not to say anything because what could he even say to Harry's admission? Harry shifted uncomfortably on the bed, the silence between them becoming awkward. He didn't know what he expected of Louis after his apology. Guess Louis didn't have anything to say to that and with reason too. Harry had hurt and humiliated him far too many times and he had seen that Louis was still not over what he had done to him. He cleared his throat.

'So what's next for you? After you graduate?' Harry asked him wanting to break the silence and change the topic. Louis sighed in relief.

'Well, I was thinking about going to grad school but I don't know. I think I need to go out there and get some real world experience so I'll probably go help out with the local campaign.' Harry gave him a smile, glad that Louis still wanted to talk to him and had gone along with the new topic. Harry slid off the bed and sat down on the carpeted floor between their two bed. He looked up at Louis.

'Like political campaign?' he asked interested because he was truly interested in all Louis had to say or wanted to say to him.

'Mhm,' Louis said as he popped a crisp into his mouth.

'Is that what you've been studying then? Politics? Huh,' he muttered as if to himself.

'What?' Louis asked. Harry offered him a smile.

'Nothing. I'm kinda surprised to be honest. I mean you seem so nice and...'

'Nice guys can't go into politics?' Louis interrupted him.

'Kinda yeah,' Harry admitted because politics wasn't nice and clean. Politicians were usually men who said they wanted to do better for citizens and country while they only did what benefitted them. Louis slid off the bed and sat on the carpet opposite Harry.

'Well we need more nice guys in politics or else we're never going to fix this messed up world.' Harry looked at him with soft eyes full of wonder.

'Hmmm so you're going to fx this messed up world then?' Louis looked back at him and found himself basking in the tender look Harry was giving him.

'Yeah I am,' he said with determination because he really wanted to. He wanted to fix this messed up world and make it better. Harry grinned at him, making Louis' heart beat a little faster.

'Good for you,' he praised. 'I like that.' Their gazes stayed locked on each other, each looking back at the person they thought they knew and discovering new things they knew nothing about. Harry's green eyes were intense on Louis', reaching deep into him and making his heart leap. Louis broke the staring contest. Harry smirked.

'So ugh what about you?' Louis asked him. 'What does the future have in store for Harry Styles?' Louis stretched his legs out in front of him, his socked toes beside Harry's thigh, not touching but close. Harry looked down at his lap.

'I don't know. I try not to think about it too much.' He raised his head and met Louis' blue eyes. 'That's why I need someone like you around.' Louis' heart skipped a beat.

'Like me?' he asked softly. Harry needed someone like him? Harry gave him a small smile.

'You know someone driven, someone a little...' Harry stopped and smirked at Louis popping his dimple. 'Extra!' Louis gasped, placing a hand on his chest as if offended and playfully nudged Harry's thigh with his toes.

'I am not extra!' he said, feigning having taken offence in what Harry said. Harry laughed and Louis' heart soared.

'You are the definition of extra!' he said still laughing. Louis felt his cheeks turn warm and Harry realized he wanted to kiss him. He wanted to kiss him really bad.

'No. I. Am. Not!' he said, punctuation each word.

'Sure whatever you say Mr. 7 am sharp,' Harry mocked him.

'Okay okay stop deflecting. I can see what you're doing. We're talking about you now.' Harry's face went serious and his eyes became thoughtful. Louis like this look on him.

'I guess the only thing I ever really knew I wanted is...' he paused because here he was revealing his vulnerability to Louis. Could he trust him? He took a deep breath and exhaled as he looked at Louis' expectant eyes on him. 'A family,' Harry said softly. 'To be a dad. To be a husband. What about you? Do you want kids?' Louis stared at him. This was unbelievable! Was this the real Harry Styles? Was this truly the boy that tormented him and made fun of him and bullied him wanting to be a husband and a father? Was this really Harry behind the scenes? Because if he was, Louis liked it! Louis bit his bottom lip trying to reign in his fond. He shrugged one shoulder.

'To be honest, I think I would be too afraid to bring a child into the world right now what with like climate change and just the general state of things,' Louis said. Harry held Louis' gaze because he wanted him to know him and that there were things he was serious about. Somehow it mattered to Harry that Louis didn't see him as his bully anymore.

'I get it,' Harry said, 'the world is a frightening place. I think about that stuff too but sometimes you just got to listen to your heart and trust that everything is going to work out.' Louis pondered Harry's words.

'Listening to your heart,' he repeated softly. 'Trust isn't my strength,' he admitted. Harry smiled.

'Hey you're the one who wants to fix the world, make it a better place. I trust in that. I trust you and you can trust me you know.' Louis bit his lip again and smiled at Harry.

'I can trust the man who can't remember a three month anniversary?' he asked and Harry smiled shyly.

'Maybe the reason I didn't remember was because it wasn't that important. Maybe I didn't remember because they weren't the one,' he defended. Louis chuckled.

'Don't tell me you're into all that soulmate, the one bla bla crap?' Harry's face went serious.

'Why? Aren't you? Don't you believe in destined soul mates?' Louis sighed heavily.

'What I do know to be true is that Manchester City should not by leading Man U by six points in the Premiere League Championship!' He had to break the tension and seriousness that had settled between them and football was something easy to talk about without it getting awkward unless....unless Harry was a City fan! Harry laughed loudly.

'I second that mate!' he said. Louis felt relieved.

'You support Man U?' he asked just to be sure. Harry rolled his eyes.

'Pfff of course. Who else would I support? You didn't think I was a City fan did you?' Louis nudged him with his toes again making Harry smile wider.

'Well back in school you were an avid Liam Gallagher and Oasis fan and since they are City supporters, I kinda just assumed you were too.' Harry scoffed.

'You assumed wrong. You just pinned me as a City fan just because I liked Oasis. That's not fair you know.'

'Guilty by association. Made sense to me,' Louis retorted.

'You sense of sense sucks,' Harry said playfully.

'Does not!' Louis laughed nudging Harry in his ribs with his toes. Harry squirmed away. Apparently he was ticklish Louis was glad to find out.

'Does too,' Harry teased. 'You just had a very low opinion of me.'

'Could you blame me?' Louis asked. 'And who says I still don't have a low opinion of you?' Harry stopped laughing and looked at him with wide green eyes.

'Do you?' he asked. Louis looked down away from those beautiful eyes.

'Maybe,' he said quietly. Silence settled between them again and it wasn't the comfortable kind. Louis searched his mind for another way out. 'Okay let's see if I can change my low opinion of you then, which by the way is very justifiable. What is your favorite movie? Impress me.' Harry snapped back to himself and smiled at Louis.

'Alright but you have to promise not to laugh.'

'Okay I promise,' Louis said quickly. Harry chuckled.

'That promise was very quick.' Louis nudged him.

'You said your trusted me. Not helping you change my opinion of you here if you go back on your word Styles. I promise,' Louis said.

'Not enough,' Harry sing songed. Louis rolled his eyes.

'God you're impossible. Okay cross my heart and hope to die. I won't laugh. There! Happy now?' Harry placed his palms together as if praying and bowed towards Louis.

'Yes. Very. My favorite movie is The Notebook.' Louis pressed his lips together because did Harry honestly love The Notebook based on the book by Nicholas Sparks?

'The Notebook?' Louis asked trying hard to suppress his laughter because he had promise hadn't he?

'Mhm,' Harry said. Louis giggled. He couldn't help it.

'Hey,' Harry whined, 'you promised you weren't going to laugh.' Louis laughed harder.

'I'm sorry. I just...I just....' he said in between his laughter.

'Yeah laugh,' Harry said but he was looking fondly at Louis. Louis took in a few breaths to calm his laughter.

'I just didn't peg you for the romantic type.' Harry's smile grew small and a little sad. Louis couldn't understand why Harry seemed intent on his opinion of him. What did he care? He never cared for anyone's opinion.

'You didn't peg me for a lot of things,' Harry said quietly. 'That movie...it was like the first time I knew what love was. The way they fell in love and it was forbidden because of social class and society. I mean, where love is concerned that shouldn't matter right? They loved each other and he kept reminding her that he loved her even when she forgot she did.' Harry shrugged and looked down like he was embarrassed. 'I mean, that's the kind of love I want. I want someone who loves me enough to fight for me and remind me they love me every day.' He raised his eyes and found Louis looking at him with a soft look and a smile on his lips.

'Wow,' Louis breathed because Harry had knocked the breath out of him. 'You are romantic huh. I kinda like that movie too.' They looked at each other intensely and Harry really wanted to kiss him, to touch him. Louis broke their gaze as he reached for his half eaten bag of crisps and took a few. Harry was confusing the hell out of him.

'So um did you...did you like ever hook up with anyone from Secondary?' Louis asked him, changing the subject for the hundereth time.

'Guys you mean?'

'Mhm,' Louis said as he munched on his crisps.

'Hell no,' Harry replied quickly. 'Did you?' Louis smiled sheepishly, mouth full of crisps. He swallowed.

'I did make out with Ashton once. You remember Ash right? But that was just about it. He was definitely straight.' 

'Hmm,' Harry agreed. 'You know who I always thought was a little not straight?'

'Who?' Louis asked intrigued by the gossip and Harry's thoughts.

'Jeffrey,' Harry said lowly. Louis' eyes went wide and a smile stretched across his face. He got on his knees and put both his hands on Harry's legs.

'Glenne's Jeffrey? No way me too! And now he and Glenne are like engaged.' Louis leaned in closer and lowered his voice as if there were other people in the room and he was afraid they'd hear. 'You know what's even weirder than the kinda gay thing? He and Glenne have been friends since like primary school.' He pulled back and Harry cursed himself for not kissing him.

'Yeah well you know what they say right? You're supposed to marry your best friend so.' Louis sat back down but this time next to Harry, so close that his bent knees rested against Harry's muscular thighs. He tried to not think about how Harry's body heat was seeping into him.

'I guess,' Louis said, 'but I don't think that's what they meant. I don't know, I mean I guess it's fine for straight people but a couple of guys could never do that.' Harry looked down at him.

'Really? You think that two guys that are best friends could never get married?' Louis looked up at him and he really had to admit that Harry was beautiful and interesting and he was developing a crush against his better judgement.

'No way,' Louis said. 'Once guys are in the friend zone there is not way they're getting out. The best you can hope for is one night of awful sex but more than likely you're gonna have a lousy lay and ruin the friendship. Seriously, there is no way you won't end up worse off than when you started.'

'How can you be so sure?' Harry asked him. 

'Let's just say Luke and I started out as friends, then you know, we started dating and I fell in love with him but um we weren't um having a lot of sex and then, I find out that he was cheating on me with half of his football team. I lost two people in one night. I lost my boyfriend and my best friend.' Louis swallowed thickly because why in God's name was he talking about Luke with Harry? Why was he sharing how Luke had betrayed him and humiliated him with Harry friggen Styles? Louis was jarred out of his thoughts when he felt Harry's big hand rest on his thigh.

'I'm so sorry that happened to you. I'm so sorry he was an asshole to you. You deserve much better than that.' Louis looked at Harry then down to where his hand lay on his thigh, his thumb running back and forth on his thigh in a comforting jesture, making Louis' insides melt. Suddenly, Harry pulled his hand away and got up.

'I should probably go take a shower,' he said because why had he touched Louis like that? He was such an idiot. He grabbed his toiletry bag and headed into the bathroom. Louis let out a breath he didn't even know he had been holding. He got up on his knees and reached for his phone that was on the bed and watched as Harry entered the bathroom, leaving the door ajar. He couldn't take his eyes off Harry as he took off his skin tight jeans, lowering them down his long legs then kicking them off and stand there in a very tight pair of white briefs.

'Oh God,' Louis murmured, suddenly his mouth dry. He needed to talk to El. She would set him straight. Well sort of. He dialed her number and she answered after the second ring.

'How are you?' she said right away. 'Is it okay? Did you punch him yet?' Louis chuckled.

'No I haven't El. Actually, its going really great,' he said a little dreamily, his eyes still on Harry in his white briefs.

'Really?' El asked clearly surprised.

'Yeah,' Louis sighed into the phone. 'He's...he's....'

'Louis don't you fucking dare,' Eleanor snarled at him through the phone.

'El he's changed,' Louis defended. 'There's so much about him I penned down wrong.'

'Like all the times he hurt you and made you cry?' Louis smiled.

'He actually apologized for all that because...' he lowered his voice not wanting Harry to hear. 'He came out to me El.' There was a moment of silence on Eleanor's end.

'Came out?' she asked. 'Came out of where?' Louis giggled.

'He's pansexual El and the reason he did all that to me was because he wasn't ready to come out yet and he kinda admired me.' Eleanor groaned.

'Louiskins you're letting him feed you all that with a spoon?'

'El stop,' Louis said. 'He's not who I thought he was. He's very romantic and kinda lonely. He's looking for his one true love to settle down and get married and have babies with.' Louis sighed into the phone.

'Oh God Louis. Please don't go falling for Harry fucking Styles. He'll only hurt you and break your heart.' Louis groaned.

'El I'm not that stupid,' Louis protested.

'Sweetie, I know you're not stupid. But you are a hopeless romantic whose had his heart broken and is looking for love and Harry has what you want and I'm scared for you. I'm scared you might reach out and try to take what he's offering....'

'I have to go. He's finishing his shower,' Louis said cutting off El abruptly.

'Louis take care of your heart baby,' Eleanor told him.

'I will. Bye El,' he said and hung up. 

Harry got out of the shower and went to the sink to brush his teeth. The mirror was all fogged up from his shower so he took a towel and wiped it off. The moment the mirror was clear, he saw Louis taking off his pants and folding them neatly in just his boxers and tee shirt. He looked petite and tiny though his thighs were muscular. Harry smiled to himself. Louis was so sweet and intelligent with a lovely heart and Harry found himself drawn to him. He had secretly liked him back in secondary school and Harry regretted all the times he had made fun of him and tormented him. Now that he was getting to know him better, he liked Louis even more and he wanted to go out there and kiss him, maybe cuddle up with him. He wanted to protect him and make up for all the wrongs he had done to him. Harry quickly rinsed his mouth, fluffed out his curls, winked at himself in the mirror and with his heart beating a little too fast at the prospect that maybe he would get to kiss or hold Louis, he stepped out of the bathroom....to find that Louis had fallen asleep. He was so cute sleeping on his tummy, one hand tucked beneath his pillow and his face mushed into the pillow. Harry climbed on to his bed, reached for his phone and stared at Louis as he slept. The thoughts that went through his mind were adorable and cute and Harry wanted him. But Louis was out of reach for him.

'Lick ass Louis,' he murmured fondly to himself, his eyes never leaving Louis' sleeping form. He smiled. He slid open his phone deciding to spend some time on social media until he felt sleepy enough to sleep. He found a message from his friend. He read it quickly but did not reply. He went through his Facebook and Twitter then decided to look up Louis' social media accounts and had a quick look through his posts and photos. Louis was really something else! He put his phone face down on the bedside table between their two beds, turned off the lampshade and slid beneath the cool sheets. It was only 9 pm, too early for sleep though clearly not too early for Louis. Harry smiled again. Of course Louis was tired! He had driven for over four hours with only two small stops for bathroom and coffee breaks. He lay on his back in the darkness and realized that there were so many things he didn't know about Louis and he hungered to know them. He wanted to know everything about him, hear him talk about himself and his work, hear him giggle and see him cover his mouth when he laughed. He wanted to make it up to Louis for being such a dick to him and he wanted to open up to Louis so Louis could know him and see that he had changed. He wanted to change Louis' mind about him. He really didn't want Louis to keep thinking of him as his tormentor and bully. That didn't sit well with Harry. He wanted to show him that he wasn't an asshole anymore. He felt his eyes getting heavier. He settled comfortably on his side, his face to Louis. He went to sleep with a clear and steadfast determination that he would show Louis that he was different than what he thought of him.

Louis stirred and stretched in his bed. He opened his eyes and the room was in semi darkness. He turned on his side to check what time it was on the digital clock on the bedside table. 9:15 am. They had to leave soon. They! His mind remembered that Harry was in the other bed. His sleepy eyes landed on the sleeping form of Harry. He was sleeping on his stomach, his face turned to Louis relaxed in sleep, his frown lines smooth, his curls going in every direction. Louis' eyes traveled down to Harry's bare broad back, one of his arms was tucked beneath the pillow making his bicep bulge, down to his narrow waist, the dip in his lower back then the rise of his perky ass in those white tight briefs, down his strong muscled thick thighs and calves. Louis sighed. Harry was beautiful. And perfect. His eyes traveled back up the expanse of Harry's body while crazy thoughts ping ponged inside his brain : what if I gave him a chance? What if Harry was interested in him? What if they dated? What if....? No! He stopped himself from going down that road of wishful crazy thinking. This could never happen! He and Harry could never happen! Harry was.....well Harry was Harry! Period.

Louis' eyes rested on Harry's peacefully sleeping face and even though he knew it was creepy, he watched Harry sleep. After a while, Harry's eyes slowly fluttered open and sleepily they met Louis' and Louis' heart stuttered a little. Louis smiled at him.

'Did you sleep okay?' he asked him in a groggy voice. Harry smiled sleepily.

'It was kinda lonely but....' he said, his voice deeper than usual. They both smiled at each other at the implication those words meant and Louis basked in them. Harry had wanted Louis to sleep with him in the same bed! Louis' heart fluttered again. Harry's phone vibrated on the bedside table. He reached out his hand and picked it up and squinted at the screen. Louis saw his face change, from sleepy to serious, his frown lines making a come back, making his face look tense.

'Is everything okay?' Louis asked him. Harry sat up in bed and swung his legs down.

'Holy shit! It's past ten. We should probably get going if we're to make it home in time for the party.' Harry got up and started to get dressed. And okay! Louis felt his heart sink like the Titanic. Where was the sweet Harry from yesterday? He felt the connection between them snap loose and break the moment Harry decided not to answer Louis and change the subject then act like he couldn't wait to get the hell out of there and back on the road. There had been a connection between them last night hadn't there? Louis was sure he wasn't imagining things. They had connected and opened up to each other and talked about stuff that made them vulnerable and now Harry was back to his usual self. Louis felt disappointed but he got up and got dressed. Once they had packed up their stuff, they headed out to the car.

'Fancy breakfast?' Louis asked hoping desperately to get their connection back even if it was over tea and toast.

'Nah. We should get on the road,' Harry said. 'If we get caught in traffic we might be late.' He opened the passenger door and got in, closing it behind him. Louis' heart sank again. Served him right for letting himself get carried away and thinking that Harry was different. Same asshole on a different day! Louis got in the car and cranked up the engine. He couldn't help the nagging feeling inside of him that Harry wanted to get away from him. The rest of the drive to Manchester was quiet and awkward. They were back to square one. Harry was silent and broody and just looked out his window not daring to look at Louis and every time Louis tried to start up a conversation with him, Harry shut him down. So Louis gave up and just drove the rest of the way to Manchester in silence that was eating him up inside.

Finally they were on the outskirts of Manchester and honestly Louis couldn't wait for this trip to be over. Yes it had been a huge mistake to bring Harry along and it had been an even bigger mistake to let himself believe that there was more to Harry. There wasn't! He was just the same as always! Louis maneuvered the traffic all the way to the city center. It felt good to be home.

'Not much has changed huh?' Louis said not really expecting a reply from Harry.

'That's not true,' Harry said surprising Louis that he was actually making conversation. 'There's Starbucks now where Burger King used to be.' Louis smiled and told himself not to let himself get carried away just because Harry spoke to him. He pulled into the parking lot beside Starbucks.

'Well, here we are. Home safe and sound,' Louis said as he killed the engine. The silence now was deafening since there wasn't the rumble of the engine. They both sat there looking at Starbucks. Harry broke the silence.

'Hey listen,' he said. Louis turned to look at him, hope filling his chest.

'Yeah?' he asked and he hated himself that his voice sounded hopeful. Harry turned to look at Louis.

'I really am sorry about being such a dick to you during secondary school. You're pretty awesome.' Louis felt the great divide settle between them but he wasn't a quitter and if there was any chance that he and Harry could at least be friends, he was going to try.

'So I'm staying for the weekend and I was going to head back to London on Monday. I was thinking about leaving early as I don't want to hit rush hour. If you want to....'

The door to Starbucks opened and Harry's head turned towards it. A familiar figure walked out. Louis felt as if his heart was going to explode in his chest.

'Is that....?' he began to ask but his words died on his tongue because of course it was.

'That's Camille yeah,' Harry said quietly. He noticed the tension in Louis but he could not understand why. What was going on? 

'Your ex?' Louis asked, trying hard not to scream at Harry. What had Harry been playing at? 'She came.' Harry chuckled.

'Well I guess now she's more like my ex ex.' Louis wanted to punch him in the throat. How was he finding this funny and making jokes about it?

'You're ugh back together then?' he asked, the words scorching his throat. Harry licked his lips and tried to understand Louis' behavior.

'Yeah she ugh texted me this morning, said she was sorry and she wanted to work it out and she was already driving over to meet me so....' he said. Just then Camille saw Harry sitting in the car and squealed. She came over to the car and waved at Harry.

'Hi baby,' she gushed. Harry smiled at her, dimples popping and Louis wanted to vomit. Harry turned to look at Louis.

'See you back at school?' he asked but before Louis could reply an affirmative or hurl a string of curse words towards him, Harry had unbuckled his seat belt, reached back to grab his bag and was out of the car. Louis watched through the windshield as Harry kissed Camille then took her hand and they both entered Starbucks. Louis sat there and watched it all play out in front of his face, not believing what had just happened. He really wanted to throw up. He was so gullible and naïve! El had been right. He played right into Harry's hands just because he was a hopeless romantic fool who just wanted to be loved. How could he be so stupid and let himself develop a crush for Harry? How had he even allowed himself to think that maybe Harry had changed and was a decent human being? El had been nothing but right when she had told him that Harry would break his heart.

Part 2 coming soon.....


	2. Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone and welcome to Part 2. Thank you for taking the time to read my fic. In this part, we will meet new characters who are actually real people. I like to involve real people in my fics. So I do hope you like this chapter esp Amanda, Selena, Mirtha, Angela, Liz and Marion. Part 3 will be coming soon (I hope) but I always try my best. All the love, M.

A year had passed since last year's uneventful Valentine's Day when Louis had to give Harry a ride back home. It had been a year since Louis had to face his bully and tormentor again and since he had made the horrible mistake of developing a crush on Harry Styles. Big, horrible, catastrophic, tatamult mistake. He had paid dearly for that mistake after he had returned to London and back to school and saw Harry with his blonde, perfect girlfriend strutting about both of them looking like two models who had just stepped out of Vogue magazine. He had moped about and whined to El and his room mates Selena and Zayn about Harry. El and Selena were on his side, cursing Harry along with him and repeating to him that what Harry had done ditching him like yesterday's trash when they had arrived at Manchester for Camel was wrong and Louis had every right to feel used and let down. Zayn on the other had had just given him weed and beer and told him to get over it. Zayn had been the rational voice telling Louis that he was the one responsible for his pain because he knew better than to develop a crush on Harry Styles. However, Louis did not get over his pain and disappointment over Harry quickly but once he graduated and started working for Amanda Haskell's campaign for Mayor of London, things had changed for him. He started working in her office, well not exactly working, more like volunteering but he was gathering experience and experience was by far more valuable than money in his case. He had also met the most amazing group of women he could ever imagine meeting and they soon became his friends.

He quickly settled in with Marion, who was Amanda's chief of PR (and he had so much to learn from her) Liz, Angela and Mirtha who were the force behind Amanda's whole campaign. He admired the team of women Amanda had on her side and he had no doubt that they were going to help her win Mayor of London. Being with this team, had somehow made him forget all about Harry. The ladies were fun and accepted him right away. He loved to stop at Starbucks in the morning and bring them all tea or lattes and every Friday after work they all went out for beer and wine down the pub. And the thing Louis loved most about them was that they were all older than him and mature women and he found it easy to vent to them about Harry and they were not shy in telling him exactly what they thought about Harry or give him their advice and dating tips! Thankfully, they helped him get over his crush by being supportive and including him in outings (mostly trips to the pub or Starbucks or lunch since they all had families to go back to) and involving him in the political work, making sure that Louis was immersed in work to keep his mind off Harry. Sometimes, (especially Mirtha and Liz) had set up Louis on blind dates with guys they thought Louis deserved. Not one of those blind dates saw a second date and Angela was the one who supported Louis when he said that he wasn't ready to date yet while the others cheered for him to get back up in the saddle and ride that pony! Angela secretly knew that Louis was still pining for Harry but she never said anything to him or called him out on it. She knew Harry was a sensitive subject for Louis.

Now, as he walked arm in arm with El down the street in the cold February air towards a single's Valentine's Day party, he wondered how in the hell he had let her convince him to come to a Valentine's party. Selena was partly to blame having worked with Eleanor to get him out of the flat and stop moping around! As if he had been moping! Well maybe he had a little bit but what was with these two wanting him to get out there and date again? 

'So I just told him that it's over,' Eleanor said breaking through his thoughts. Louis cuddled closer to her because the wind was biting and it was freezing and he was cold.

'You broke up with him?' he asked a little bit shocked that El had broken things off with Max.

'Louis, the way you say breaking up implies that we had some kind of commitment to break which we did not have but yeah he was starting to get needy and possessive.' Louis snorted.

'Max was getting possessive? Max?'

'Yes Louiskins Max. The Max. He insisted on taking me out tonight for one thing. That's needy AND possessive.' Louis looked at her with awed surprise on his face because was she for real? He only wished he had someone as attentive and caring and thoughtful as Max!

'El, I don't think that Max wanting to take you out, his girlfriend of three years on Valentine's day qualifies as being possessive,' Louis reasoned with her. Eleanor huffed.

'He knew I had plans with you,' she argued.

'To go to a singles party! That doesn't make sense breaking up with your boyfriend because you had plans with your best friend to go to a singles party on Valentine's day!'

'Yeah exactly. Plans with you,' Eleanor said and Louis furrowed his brow trying to understand her reasoning but before he could object to her non sensical way of seeing things, Eleanor pulled him inside a building that was thrumming with loud music and people. Before they joined the party, Louis looked at her.

'Are you really okay El?' he asked her a little bit worried.

'Totally,' she quipped. 'I'm relieved to be honest. You know me. Relationships are not my thing.'

'Except you've always been in a relationship almost for the full time I've known you,' Louis countered. Eleanor shrugged and pulled him further inside and halted just inside the door to look at the vast room decorated in lots of pink and red hearts and balloons, gold streamers with love quotes written on them and rose petals on the floor. They gaped at the scene before them, lots of single people, dancing and drinking and trying to find their soul mate in the midst of this pink and red sea of romance. They both made disgusted faces, not actually believing they had come to a Valentine's Day singles party. Louis wanted nothing more than to be home! Suddenly Louis spotted Zayn and Selena by the drinks counter. He tugged on El's hand.

'Zayn!' he called over the loud music. 'Sel! Zayn!' Zayn and Selena looked at Louis.

'Hey mate you made it,' Zayn greeted him happily. 'Hey El. Looking ace!' Eleanor smiled at Zayn. She was comfortable with Louis' roomies since she was over their flat quite a bit.

'Louis!' Selena said as she hugged Louis. 'You came. I honestly thought you were taking ths piss when you told me you'd come. Oh my God I'm so happy you're here.' Louis hugged her and patted her on her lower back.

'You know me. I don't make promises that I can't keep.' Eleanor rolled her eyes.

'Aren't you going to tell her that I had to threaten you to get you out of your flat?' Louis pulled away from Selena and narrowed his eyes at his best friend.

'Traitor,' he hissed at her. 'I'm here aren't I? What more do you want from me?'

'Get you laid!' Eleanor and Selena said at the same time. They high fived each other.

'Great minds think alike,' Selena said smirking at Eleanor.

'Zayn,' Louis whined, 'they're ganging up on me here. A little help?' Zayn shrugged as he poured drinks into two red cups which he handed to Eleanor and Louis.

'Two solo cups for two solos,' he said smirking at them. 'Get it?' Zayn laughed and raised his own cup. 'Here's to getting laid tonight. Cheers queers.' They bumped cups together and chorused cheers back at Zayn. They all gulped down their drinks and screwed up their faces at how strong Zayn had made them.

'Oh my God Zayn,' Eleanor griped. 'You're going to get us all hammered before the night even begins!' Zayn winked at her.

'That's the plan my darling,' he said nudging Louis with his shoulder. 'And getting this little one here laid.' Louis scowled at him.

'Who are you calling little?' he said. Zayn put an arm around his shoulder and pulled him closer.

'You are little Lou.' Louis pushed him off of him and glared at him.

'I'll have you know....'

'Yeah yeah five foot nine,' they all chorused together and burst out laughing at Louis' expense. Zayn turned Louis to face him.

'Okay so most of the hot guys are congregated at the queer pong table. It's kinda like beer pong but...you get it right? Anyway may the odds be forever in your favor Louiskins!' Louis slapped Zayn's arms away. Zayn laughed and turned towards Eleanor and Selena. 'And for you two there are plenty of straight guys unless of course you are into women.' Zayn wiggled his eyebrows at them. Eleanor rolled her eyes.

'Ugh just your basic straight girl here,' she said.

'Well then good luck finding a man, hopefully not one I have my eye on. Off with you then. Be safe.' Zayn hugged his three friends.

'Great. Let's go then. Let the hunger games begin!' Louis giggled.

'Thank you Zayn,' he murmured because he might not be lucky in love but he was lucky in the friends he had. 'I'm really lucky to have all of you.' Selena patted Louis on the back.

'Go get you a man Lou,' she encouraged him. Louis rolled his eyes fondly.

'Yeah Sel, not THAT lucky!' Selena hugged him tightly and whispered in his ear.

'I'm sure your Mr. Right is out there waiting for you to meet him baby.' She pulled back and smiled at her friend. 'See you back at home unless either of us hooks up in which case I will see you in the morning. Bye guys,' she said as she walked off giving them all a wave. Louis sighed and allowed Eleanor to drag him into the melee of dancing bodies, Louis cradling his drink carefully to avoid someone spilling his drink on his new white woolly polo neck.

'Apparently there's a million single person in London and I still can't get a date,' Louis complained to Eleanor as he scanned everyone looking for a potential man he could maybe perhaps date.

'Oh you can get a date. You're just too scared to try,' Eleanor pointed out.

'I'm not scared,' Louis quipped. 'I'm just picky.' Eleanor gave him an annoyed look.

'Picky is just an excuse to not put yourself out there,' she pointed out.

'Not true,' Louis defended. 'I'm not scared.' Eleanor narrowed her eyes at him and grinned. She put her hand on her hips.

'Really? Not scared huh? Okay then you know what? I'm gonna pick out some guys and you're going to go talk to them.' Louis took a gulp of his drink which tasted like surgical spirit and burnt his throat.

'Fine,' he mumbled. Eleanor laughed.

'Oh challenge accepted Louiskins.' She looked around the room, her eyes darting from one man to the other. 'How about.....him?' she asked Louis pointing to a tall gangly guy with a hooked nose.

'Oh you mean hook nose over there?' Louis asked. El wiggled her eyebrows at him.

'You know what they say about big noses right?'

'Big boogers?' Louis offered. Eleanor slapped him forearm.

'Eww Lou you're gross. Okay fine. Let's see.' Once again she scanned the room. 'What about.....him?' She pointed to a good looking guy with a nice trimmed beard, freshly cut styled hair and a fancy shirt, sitting alone playing with a heart shaped balloon. Louis smiled.

'Oh you mean the lost Kardashain brother over there? I can guarantee you that ninety five percent of his camera roll are pictures of himself.' Eleanor rolled her eyes.

'Christ you are picky aren't you?' Louis nodded and she looked around again. 'How about.....daddy jeans over there?' She pointed to a guy wearing a pair of baggy daddy jeans, a black tee shirt, Vans and a beanie. 'He is totally your type Lou come on.' Just then Selena joined them and looked to where Eleanor was pointing.

'El's right Lou. He is totally your type. Go for him stag!' Eleanor nodded.

'Honestly, with a body like that, if he's not good enough for you he's definitely good enough for me,' she said sizing the guy up and down.

'Same,' Selena added. Louis huffed.

'Will both of you just stop drooling and wipe the spit off your chins? Jesus Christ are you both in heat?'

'Aren't you?' Eleanor asked raising her eyebrows at him. 'I can't understand how your blue balls haven't fallen off yet.' Before Louis could reply, the guy in the daddy jeans turned around slowly, laughing at something his friends had just said and he met Louis' eyes across the room. At first the green eyes didn't realize who they were seeing but then realization and recognition settled in and he smiled broadly at Louis popping two dimples in his cheeks.

'Shit!' Louis hissed as he turned away from Harry. 'El can we get out of here like now please please?' he begged. 

'Why?' Selena and Eleanor asked simultaneously.

'Just please,' Louis pleaded. He threw a look over his shoulder and saw Harry approaching.

'Louis!' he called.

'Who's that Lou?' Eleanor asked urgently. 'Do you want me to beat him up?'

'I'll help you,' Selena offered.

'No! No just stop it both of you.' Before Louis could compose himself, Harry was beside him.

'If it isn't Lick Ass Louis!' Harry drawled. Louis took in a deep breath, plastered a smile on his face and turned to face Harry.

'Oh hey. Hi,' he said cheerfully trying to hide the shame that nickname always made him feel. He wished Harry would bite his tongue every time he was going to call him that! 

'How are you mate?' Harry said happily. 'How you've been?' Eleanor and Selena looked at Harry with narrowed eyes. So this cute, gorgeous, stylish thing was Louis' nightmare! This was the infamous Harry Styles! They flanked Louis ready to pounce if Harry so much as hurt Louis.

'I'm good mate,' Louis said punching Harry's bicep playfully. 'I've been really good. Great even.' El and Selena looked at this exchange going on in front of them. Harry grinned.

'I'm chill. You know fresh as a watermelon.' Harry noticed Eleanor and Selena staring at him.

'Hi ladies. I'm Harry by the way. Excuse my state of being and rambling. I'm kinda wasted but it's a pleasure to meet you,' he drawled as he held out his hand towards them which neither of them shook. Harry put his hand down confused at their hostile reaction.

'Oh we know perfectly well who you are Mister,' Eleanor said. Harry smiled at them broadly.

'Yeah? You know me? Well um I don't know you. Who are you?' he asked. Louis literally saw steam blowing form Eleanor's nostrils like a bull ready to charge so he acted immediately. He wrapped both his arms around his friends.

'This is Eleanor my best friend and this is Selena my room mate slash sister,' he introduced. Harry looked from one to the other, smiling happily, his dimples on full display.

'Nice to meet you ladies. So lovely,' he slurred.

'Can't say likewise,' El muttered. Louis gave her a stern look.

'So um what are you doing at a single's only party?' Louis asked curiously but more to find out if Harry was still with Camille or not. 'I thought you had a girlfriend.'

'Huh?' Harry asked furrowing his eyebrows to cause two frown lines in the middle of his forehead trying to make sense through his alcohol induced brain what Louis was asking him. Louis swooned a little on the inside because those frown lines were so cute.

'Your girlfriend Camille?' Louis reminded him. 'That's her name right? The one you had the big fight with so you had to ride with me back home last Valentine's day and then you guys made up and you ditched me?' Eleanor and Selena braced themselves. Louis was going back there!

'I didn't ditch you,' Harry said grinning at him. 'My girlfriend just showed up. I mean what did you expect me to do?' Louis growled on the inside. Seriously?

'Whatever,' Louis said. 'I'm guessing you guys aren't still together seeing as you can't even remember her name.' Eleanor desperately wanted to tell Louis to stop it but she was fascinated by what was actually developing in front of her eyes. The dynamic between them....didn't they see it? Or feel it?

'Nah we broke up that same evening before we even had the chance to get back to London. If you'd ever text me back after our road trip, you might have known that. Did you even read my texts? I guess not since clearly you didn't know.' Louis felt his cheeks burn. Yeah Harry had text him and he had just deleted the texts before reading them. He was angry and pissed alright so sue him!

'Yeah um...ugh I'm sorry...I um just....I got back to school and got wrapped up in classes and I kinda ugh...you know me.' He shut up because he was flustered. Harry smiled fondly at him, eyes crinkling and dimples popping and Eleanor wanted to scream because they were flirting!

'Yeah I do know you. So right um after Kendall....'

'Camille,' Louis corrected him.

'Right yeah Camille of course. Kendall came after Camille but before Nick. Yeah um anyway let's just say I felt like playing into the whole stereotype of pan so I....'

'Which is?' Louis interrupted him. Harry looked at him with glazed eyes.

'Which is what?' he asked.

'Stereotype pan?' Louis asked. 'What's that?' Harry shrugged.

'You know.... that we get around.' Louis smiled cheesily at him.

'Hmm getting around huh? Is that a nice way of saying slutty?' Harry's smile faltered.

'Come on Lou you know me,' he said and Eleanor and Selena winced at the use of Louis' pet name falling from Harry's lips. They could see now Louis' attraction to this asshole. 'I'm a romantic. You know that! I'm here just looking for Miss.....um Mister.....ugh Person Right! But you know what they say; the definition of insanity is to do the same thing over and over again and expecting different results so I um decided to pull the plug on the whole dating thing. Go full monk. No more dating. Totally celibate.' Louis tried to hold in his laughter that was threatening to bubble out of him because Harry was being ridiculous.

'You? Celibate?' he asked incredulously.

'Mhm,' Harry replied proudly and as innocent as a child.

'For how long?' Louis asked. Harry shifted from one foot to the other.

'Okay it's only um been a couple of days,' he admitted and Louis couldn't hold in his laughter anymore. He let it out and laughed loudly. 'Hey I'm serious about this,' Harry protested smiling at Louis. And that only made Louis laugh harder till the tears were in his eyes blurring his vision. Selena and Eleanor watched this enfold before them in utter fascination.

'What Lou?' Harry pleaded when Louis would not stop laughing. 'Come on tell me. What?' Louis tried to breathe through his laughter and wiped his eyes.

'Um...' he began but Eleanor interrupted him.

'You know what?' she said, getting everyone's attention.

'What is it El?' Louis asked her finally able to speak.

'Sel and I are going to get a refill or some embalming liquid because honestly, that would be less strong than these drinks that Zayn has been mixing. Come on Sel,' Eleanor said as she took Selena's hand and half dragged her away.

'But's that Harry El,' she protested, not letting herself be dragged away so easily because she needed to protect her roomie from Harry. Eleanor ground her teeth together.

'That';s the fucking point! Selena, we need a drink now! Come on.' And this time she let Eleanor take her away, offering an apologetic look over her shoulder towards Louis. Louis turned back to look at Harry feeling his confidence slip away now that his friends had left him alone with Harry. He cleared his throat.

'Okay so if you're so serious about not dating, why are you at this party?' Harry looked behind him and pointed to a group of people.

'My friends dragged me out,' he said waving at them.

'Oh,' Louis said.

'Plus, 'Harry continued, 'I have been stuck painting room at the flat I share with my mate Liam and I needed alcohol to clean my paint brushes so yeah.' They both laughed and looked at each other. Harry took a drink from his cup. 'So ugh what have you been up to since graduation?'

'I'm now working for Amanda Jean Haskell,' Louis said proudly. He saw the vacant look on Harry's face and could actually hear the cogs in his brain working to try and figure out who this Amanda was. Harry leaned forward closer to Louis, so close that Louis could smell and feel his alcohol induced breath on him. He shivered.

'Um should I know who that is?' Harry asked and Louis wanted to punch him and kiss him at the same time. Louis leaned forward, dangerously close to Harry's face. Their lips inches apart.

'I don't know. Did you date her?' The both burst out laughing at that question. Louis punched Harry playfully on the arm and decided to put him out of his misery and educate him. 'She's running for Mayor of London. She's um really progressive and good at what she does. I work with a lovely team of ladies and my job is to promote Amanda so people like you who seem to be living under a rock, know who she is.' Harry took a moment to take in what Louis had just said.

'So you're like in charge of PR or something?' Harry asked.

'No. That's Marion's job. Marion Kett is her chief of PR. I um just started. I'm one of the community organizers. Basically just one step up form a volunteer but I'm learning a lot from my team especially from Liz, Angela and Mirtha. They are patient with me and show me all the ropes.' Harry smiled at him.

'Wow must be lovely working with a team of women huh?' 

'Good thing I'm gay innit? Don't want to date them all.' Harry smirked at him.

'I should stop by your office sometime.'

'Why?' Louis asked him. 'Just so you can charm my colleagues or maybe date them? You're good at that right? Charming people then dating them then dumping them.' Harry giggled and Louis found it oh so adorable.

'I don't want to date every woman I meet Lou,' he said then he took a step closer to Louis. 'No. I just want to see you in action. In your element. I want to see you while you fix this messed up world.' Louis felt himself blush and a tremor pass throughout his whole body.

'I'm still a work in progress,' he admitted.

'Aren't we all?' Harry asked, his eyes never leaving Louis and his body way too close for Louis' comfort. Louis felt as if his body was going to combust because Harry was sexy and hot and unattainable yet he wanted him. He really wanted Harry to push him up against a wall and kiss him and manhandle him with those biceps. He cleared his throat and took a step back.

'Anyway. You um never told me about your real major? Are you in retail or fashion?' Louis asked because Harry really looked like a model even in ugly daddy jeans and a simple black tee shirt.

'Is that so hard to believe?' Harry questioned him. Louis giggled.

'Kinda.' Harry gave him a smile.

'No I didn't major in fashion or retail. I majored on something more important than that.'

'Which is?' Louis pressed. Harry took a sip of his drink.

'Marketing,' he said. Louis covered his mouth and giggled. Harry raised an eyebrow at him. 'Are you judging me Mr. Politician?'

'Not at all,' Louis said in between giggles.

'Yeah Lou yeah you are. I can tell,' Harry accused him playfully. 'What do you think politics is anyway? It's just marketing the same candidate but in a different way.' 

'They are not the same!' Louis countered. 'Amanda Haskell wants health care for everybody, she wants more money for the schools in London. She's even looking at a plan right now to help the enviornment and pollution in London.'

'Okay okay settle down Mr. Politician. I believe you.' Awkward silence settled between them as they both looked at each other intensely, Harry biting his bottom lip as if silently deciding whether to devour Louis or not and Louis wanted him to, God he did but it was wrong. This was Harry. Harry Styles and nothing was ever going to happen between them because the thing about Harry was that he never changed! Louis licked his lips.

'So you're seriously not dating right now?' he asked, his throat dry. Harry shook his head no, his eyes never leaving Louis. Louis fidgeted on his feet. 'I um I should ugh probably go check on El and Selena. Make sure they're not terrorizing anyone.' Louis giggled and Harry seemed to snap out of his staring daze.

'Ugh yeah okay,' he stammered out.

'And I'm going to get some more of this paint brush cleaner,' he said showing Harry his empty cup.

'Yeah sure and could you perhaps bring me another one since you're going there?' Harry asked him. Louis took his empty cup.

'Yeah sure I guess.' Harry smiled and bit his bottom lip. He knew exactly what he was doing to Louis and Louis hated him. Sort of!

'Hurry back,' he told him and Louis wanted to set himself on fire. Louis nodded unable to say anything back to Harry's request. He hurried back to where El and Selena where having a heated discussion. Eleanor stopped when she saw Louis coming and beamed at him.

'Oh my God Louiskins, he's adorable. How come during all of those millions of times that you whined and complained and cursed Harry during that road trip you both had, you failed to mention how fucking sexy he is?' Selena scowled at Eleanor.

'He's not all THAT! Calm down.' Eleanor turned on Selena.

'Are you being serious right now?'

'Yes I am!' Selena shot back. 'What's wrong with you?' 

'Ugh excuse me? What's wrong with ME? Like have you seen him?' Selena put her hands on her hips.

'I have seen him and he made me remember how hurt Louis was when he came back from that damned trip and how weeks after, he was distraught over that piece of shit that you seem to be fascinated with.'

'For your information no I have no forgotten what Louis has been through because of him. I'm his best friend after all and he confines in me.'

'Well you don't seem to have his best interests at heart since you're shoving him in the arms of the person who continously hurts him!' Eleanor opened her mouth to say her piece.

'Okay guys stop it! I'm here okay. I can hear all that you're saying.'

'Which is why you should know that El is wrong and its a bad idea Louis. It's Harry come on!' Selena snapped. Eleanor rolled her eyes.

'Honestly Louis, you should be all over him.' Selena was ready to reply to Eleanor.

'Sel,' Louis said softly. 'I know what I'm doing. Besides he's not even dating so....'

'Oh please,' Eleanor said, 'he's practically begging you to give him a reason to break his vow of chastity.' Louis turned to Eleanor.

'I appreciate you wanting to get me laid but if there's one thing I've learned from politics is that you can't make someone vote for your candidate if they're not going to the polls.' Eleanor huffed.

'Lou, you're not running for Mayor! Amanda is! You are just trying to get laid!'

'Bad idea!' Selena offered. 'Very very bad idea Louis.' Louis looked from one to the other.

'You know me guys. I don't do the casual one night thing very well.' Eleanor put her arm around his shoulder.

'Honey I know that but you're never going to get to second night if you don't do the first one.' Louis groaned. He knew that both Eleanor and Selena were right but he had to listen to his heart. He couldn't deny that he liked Harry even as fucked up as Harry was. He couldn't deny that his heart sped a little faster whenever they met and that Harry made him laugh and he liked how Harry looked at him and furthermore, he couldn't deny that his body reacted to Harry. Eleanor saw him hesitate, struggling to decide.

'Louiskins, get back out there and throw yourself at that hot piece of man ass before I call your mum and tell her you quit therapy!' Louis gasped at her in shock.

'You wouldn't!'

'You wanna try that theory?' she asked him, raising an eyebrow at him and smirking wickidly at him, challenging him to try her.

'You put Maleficent to shame,' Selena hissed at her. 'Evil fairy Godmother.' Eleanor rolled her eyes.

'Know your Disney Sel. There's no such thing as an Evil Fairy Godmother.' 

'Okay guys stop!' Louis said. 'Just stop okay. I'm just going to take a drink back to Harry. He's waiting for me.'

'Atta boy,' Eleanor praised him.

'Don't come crying to me,' Selena said as she walked off.

'Be nice to her El,' Louis warned her. 'She's just looking out for me.'

'I know and I am being nice come on Louiskins. I've seen that there's chemistry between you two and you blushed fifty shades of pink when he flirted with you and you giggled! I mean come on. YOU. GIGGLED! That's very rare and Harry managed to pull it out of you a few times. Try but take care of your heart. I mean, just have a good time with him, don't expect anything and if it's meant to happen, the Universe will make it happen. If it's not meant to happen at least you'll get a good fuck out of him.' Eleanor wiggled her eyebrows at him. 'Go on let him wet your willy!'

'Okay alright God you are vulgar!' Eleanor laughed and clapped her hands happily. Louis picked up his two drinks and turned to go.

'Wait wait,' Eleanor said stopping him in his tracks.

'What now?' he huffed.

'The polo, it has to come off,' she said as she started tugging his polo neck off.

'No no what the hell,' Louis protested but Eleanor was not going to take no for an answer.

'It's coming off. It's got to come off. You need to show some skin,' she said as Louis put the cups down and let her pull off his white polo neck. When it was off, Eleanor surveyed him in his maroon tee shirt and dishevelled hair. She handed him back his and Harry's drinks and smiled at him.

'There much better. You look less politician and more your age who's ready to mingle and get that tingle....'

'Stop,' Louis groaned. 'Please stop and don't drink anymore.' She turned him around and gently nudged him forward in Harry's direction.

'Go grasshopper. Make mama proud!' Louis shook his head and rolled his eyes and began walking towards where he had left Harry. On the way there, he put the cups down on a table and smoothed down his hair. As Louis approached Harry, he saw him dancing there all by himself and Louis couldn't help the fond laughter that spilled from his lips.

'Nice moves,' Louis commented as he handed Harry his drink. Not really nice moves actually. Harry looked like a baby deer trying to walk on ice but Louis just had to. Harry beamed at him.

'Yeah? You like that?' he asked as he tried to control his long legs. There wasn't much co-ordination between his brain and legs that Louis could see! His long legs seemed to have a mind of their own.

'Oh yeah sure definitely.' Harry laughed, stopped dancing and moved closer to Louis all up in his space.

'Thank you Mr. Politician,' he said as he took a gulp of his drink. Just then a cute guy in flowing red hair that fell down his back smiled and winked at Harry and Harry smiled back, popping his dimples at the guy who blushed and blew Harry a kiss. Louis looked from one to the other.

'Did you.....' he began asking, the words getting lodged in his throat. 'Are you flirting with that guy?' Harry looked at him a little shocked.

'What? No! No I'm not,' he said letting out a nervous laugh.

'Yes you were,' Louis accused. 'You just smiled at him...that...that smile of yours.!' Harry opened his mouth to reply but Louis carried on. 'I mean I get it. He's super hot and beautiful with that flowing hair and sexy body. I mean you should totally ask him out.' Harry blinked. What the fuck was happening? They were just having a laugh! But Louis felt irritated at the exchange between Harry and red hair over there.

'Louis chill. I wasn't flirting with him,' Harry said.

'Look Harry, I don't care okay. At least just own up to it Mr. Celibate!' Harry's smile slid off his face.

'Louis stop it,' he said seriously. 'I wasn't flirting okay. I wasn't!' Louis shrugged.

'I'm not gonna fight you on this but you were totally flirting.'

'What the hell is your problem huh? You're acting like a freak. Is there something you want to say to me? If there is just spit it out already. You're killing my buzz,' Harry shot angrily at him. Louis had a lot to say to him in fact but he didn't want to look like a child and bring up the fact that he was still pissed off at Harry for dumping him for Camille after they had had a connection a year ago in that guest house room. 

'I'm not a freak,' Louis spit at him. 'Don't call me that. You're a freak who can't keep his horse in the barn!' And if Harry wasn't pissed off at Louis' attitude, he would've burst out laughing in his face.

'Is that right grandpa?' Harry challenged. 'Well at least I'm not afraid of riding a horse!' That hit Louis where it hurt.

'Wow,' he said giving Harry his most disappointed look.

'Mhm,' Harry murmured. Louis straightened his spine and looked Harry in the eyes.

'Well that's better than being the rodeo clown!' he spit harshly. Harry's face turned into that of a kicked puppy and Louis wanted to hug him and say sorry but no, he wouldn't! He had enough of his shit!

'What's that supposed to mean?' Harry said softly and Louis hated him. He hated that Harry made him feel this way.

'I think you know very well what it means Harry.' Eleanor rushed over and grabbed Louis' hand.

'Hey Lou, I'm gonna get out of here. I just had sex with this guy in the bathroom and he's like waiting for round two ugh and I just don't have it in me,' she said and Louis wanted to strangle her and kiss her at the same time. Strangle her because she had managed to get some and kiss her because she was saving him from Harry.

'Oh great yeah I'll come with,' he said in his most fake cheerful voice. He turned and looked at Harry who was still looking like a kicked puppy. 'Nothing keeping me here. Good seeing you Harry.' El looked from him to Harry.

'But you and...and....'

'El now. Let's go!' Louis told her firmly and for once he was thankful that Eleanor did as he asked. He grabbed Eleanor's hand and together they left Harry standing there looking at them leave. He had a disappointed pained look on his face that made Louis' insides hurt. When they got outside it was raining softly.

'What the hell happened between you two? I thought you were going to ride that stallion.' Louis turned to look at her.

'I told you I wasn't ready to get back up in the saddle. Sel was right. Now can we please drop it? I just want to go home and watch Notting Hill and stuff my face with ice-cream and tell myself over and over how stupid and naïve I am.' Thankfully Eleanor didn't argue with him. They got a taxi and when Louis arrived home, he was even more thankful that Selena wasn't home yet because he didn't want to hear “I told you so.” He went to the freezer, pulled out a tub of ice-cream and a spoon from the drawer then made his way to his room. He pulled off his clothes, put on his pjs and got in bed. He booted his laptop and found Notting Hill on Netflix and stuffed his face with ice-cream while drowning in self pity. He did not see the text message from Harry that read : What did I do? Whatever it is, I'm sorry.

The next morning Louis woke up determined to once again put Harry behind him. He saw the notification informing him he had a message from Harry but he scoffed and just deleted the message without reading it like he had done after their road trip. No way was he going to let Harry disrupt his life again. He got dressed and left his room to go get breakfast. Again, he thanked the gods that nobody was home. Both Zayn and Selena had probably found someone to go home with and he felt even worse for that because how did they do it? Why couldn't he find someone? He decided that he didn't feel like breakfast anymore. He grabbed his phone, wallet and car keys and left the flat. He drove to Starbucks to get his lady friends their coffee. He will immerse himself in work and forget stupid Harry Styles and all his shit and mind games. However, Harry's pained expression could not leave his mind. He had been harsh with Harry but he deserved it. Didn't he?

He entered the office and immediately was greeted with squeals of delight.

'Louis!!!' Mirtha greeted him. 'You brought coffee. You're an angel!' Louis smiled and gave Mirtha her coffee then handed Liz and Angela their's. He looked around.

'Where's Marion?' he asked. 

'She's in Amanda's office,' Liz offered as she took a sip of her coffee and moaned. Louis looked from one to the other.

'Is something wrong?' he asked.

'No,' Angela said. 'Well at least I hope not.' She shrugged. 'We'll know when their meeting ends won't we?'

'I guess,' Louis said as he sat down and took a sip of his tea. Mirtha narrowed her eyes at him.

'Alright what is it?' she asked as she sat opposite Louis. Angela and Liz sat down too.

'What?' he asked looking from one to the other.

'Don't fuck around Lou,' Liz said. 'We have special radars that detect bullshit. Now spill. What's wrong?'

'I...um...ugh....'

'Take a breath honey,' Angela advised. 'Don't want you having a panic attack. Take your time. Looks like its going to be a slow day here anyway.' Louis fumbled with his cup.

'I um went to a singles party yesterday.....'

'Oh my God you met someone!' Liz said happily.

'Who is he?' Mirtha asked.

'Details Lou come on,' Angela said. Louis looked from one to the other.

'I met Harry,' he said quietly. Their happy excited faces fell.

'Oh,' they all said disappointed.

'Well wow,' Louis huffed.

'What did the asshole want?' Mirtha asked.

'Did he do anything to upset you?' Liz pressed.

'I swear to god Louis if he....'

'He didn't!' Louis stopped them. 'I think I might have hurt him,' he admitted.

'Well good for you!' Mirtha congratulated him. 'About time you gave him some of his own medicine.' Louis looked down. They exchanged glances over his bowed head.

'What did you do Lou?' Angela asked him because she could see that Louis was upset. He shook his head.

'I might have called him a whore.' Mirtha, Liz and Angela gasped. 'Not indirectly come on!' Just then Marion came out of Angela's office.

'Is that Starbucks I smell?' she asked and Louis handed her her coffee. 'Bless you darling.' She looked at the others and saw their somber faces. 'What's going on?'

'Louis called Harry a whore,' Mirtha said. Marion gasped.

'You didn't!' she said as she pulled up a chair. 'What did he do to deserve it?' So Louis told them all that had happened the night before. When he was done, he sat back stewing in guilt and shame and looked at his friends waiting for them to deliver the verdict.

'He deserved it,' Mirtha said.

'He did not!' Angela quipped.

'He flirted in Louis' face the fuck?' Liz argued.

'Technically he's free to flirt. They are not together,' Marion reasoned. 

'He was flirting with Louis and Louis was kind enough to even get him a drink then flirt with Mr. Red Wavy hair in front of Louis' face? Cheater!' Mirtha said.

'They're not together!' Angela protested. 'How can Harry cheat on Louis if they are not together?' Liz leaned forward and squeezed Louis' knee.

'He's a whore!'

'Liz!' Angela gasped. 'That's not nice to say.' Mirtha let out a laugh.

'Liz you're a savage!' she commented. Liz shrugged.

'Well, like Louis said, Harry can't keep the horse in the barn now can he? Whore!' Marion giggled.

'Really Louis? I can't believe you actually told him that!' Liz leaned forward again.

'Be honest, you want to ride that horse don't you?' Louis slapped her hand.

'Shut up!'

'You're blushing,' they teased him. The door to Amanda's office opened and she stepped out.

'Louis, can I see you in my office,' she said. Louis quickly got up and went into her office. Before she closed the door she looked at the others. 'Don't you have work to do? I have a campaign to win! Get to it!' She closed the door and motioned for Louis to sit down. He did. Amanda sat in her chair and looked at Louis.

'Marion tells me you've been doing great promotional work for my campaign.' Louis nodded.

'I have. Is um is everything alright? Did I do something wrong?' Amanda smiled at him and shook her head.

'No you haven't. I just wanted to tell you that I decided to make you Marion's assistant. We are stepping you up. I want you to learn from Marion about what promoting a political candidate consists of. You work hard and your work is good. If I win this campaign, I want you working for me Louis. I have big plans for London.' Louis covered his mouth with his hands, his eyes wide.

'Oh my God Mrs. Haskell thank you so so much for the opportunity. I promise I will work hard and I won't let you down.' She smiled at him.

'You better. Like I said, I want to win this campaign. So go on, get back to work.' Louis stood up.

'Thank you again for the opportunity.' Amanda waved him away. Louis turned to leave but before he opened the door, Amanda stopped him.

'Louis,' she said. He turned to look at her. 'Did you really tell Harry he couldn't keep his horse in the barn?' Louis felt heat flood him from his feet up to his cheeks. He wanted the earth to open up and swallow him whole.

'You heard,' he said shamefully and embarrassed.

'I heard,' Amanda said trying to hold in her laughter. 'A word of advise Louis. Horses can be tamed if they have the right trainer who they trust. Maybe all Harry needs is a little trust and direction.' She gave him a wink. 'No go. There's work to be done. We gotta win me an election.'

Part 3 coming soon.......


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